The Royal Shakespeare Company is seeking volunteers for its forthcoming production of Julius Caesar, part of the World Shakespeare festival, which is set in modern-day Africa and features an all-black cast. The volunteers will appear in street scenes and as crowds of citizens in as-yet unnamed African country, alongside a cast that includes Paterson Joseph, Adjoa Andoh and Ray Fearon.

In a video call-out on the RSC's website, the production's associate director, Gbolahan Obisesan, said that volunteers "don't need to have any experience whatsoever. We just want [their] commitment and enthusiasm. What we're looking to create is a real community spirit around the production."

"One of the inspirations behind setting Julius Caesar in Africa was discovering the Robben Island Shakespeare and that Nelson Mandela had chosen to autograph lines from the play, asserting that it spoke in a particular way to his continent," Doran said. "The esteemed South African actor John Kani put it most succinctly when he told me that Julius Caesar was quite simply 'Shakespeare's Africa play'."

The show runs from 28 May to 7 July, and the company are seeking up to 25 people for each performance. Volunteers must be black men and women over the age of 18. The company is holding three information sessions in Birmingham over the next 10 days for interested parties to discover more about the project.

• This article was amended on 3 April 2012. The original misspelled South African actor John Kani's name as John Kami. This has been corrected.